Grizzly 453Z verses Grizzly 1021X2

[Paul Greathouse]

I see alot of you have the 453 and really like it. I will be purchasing a planer soon and Grizzly is high on my short list.

I've been looking at the spec sheets for these two planers (453Z/1021X2) on the Grizzly website and I'm having a hard time figuring out the major differences. There must be some difference or else why would a company make two almost identical machines and sell them for almost the same price.

They both are 15" and both have spiral cutter heads, appears to be the same motor, the 453Z has casters but the 1021X2 does not. There is only $100 difference in price. Is the 1021X2 a new model that will replace the 453Z? Can someone shed some light on the differences?

[Dave Bureau]

I've been looking at them also. looks like the bed is longer on the 1021, bigger rollers on the top. feed rates are different. better looking switch and i think they are made in 2 different factories. IMHO the 1021 will have a better resale value in the future. do a search for this, it has been discussed just a little while ago. I'm going for the 1021.
Dave

[Lance Norris]

Here is a link to a thread earlier in the month. Amazing what you can find by searching.


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=78435&highlight=grizzly+1021x2

[Paul Greathouse]

Thanks for the link Lance,

It's just as amazing what you can't find sometimes. There's so much good information on SMC that sometimes, as I did this morning, you can miss what your really after when performing a search because of the mountains of information here, especially Grizzly info.

The link you provided contained other links that were also helpful. I really don't remember how many links deep I actually was before I turned around and backed out.

For anyone that is trying to decide which planer to buy, 453Z or 1021X2, if you can't decide by reading through the string of links that Lance provided you never will.

For myself it will be the 1021X2.

[Lance Norris]

After re-reading my post, I apologize if I seemed harsh. I didnt mean to sound that way.

Just to cloud the waters a little... When I originally wanted a planer, the 453 wasnt available with the spiral head. I had the extra money for the 1021x and really wanted the spiral cutterhead. I have been very happy with my 1021x. I think if I was going to buy a planer now, it would be the 453z. I feel its just a better deal. Its been an established tool for quite a while now and many companies sell it in various colors with their nameplate on it. I also like the fact that it has a built-in mobile base, which I bought for my 1021x at added cost. The 453z has the Grizzly head where the 1021x2 has what appears to be the Byrd head. My 1021x has the Grizzly head, and I feel they are equal(I have a Byrd on my jointer). Look at the cost of the replaceable cutters. Better value with the Grizzly head. The lower cost of the x2 as opposed to the 1021x (-$200) makes it a harder decision, but at $1295 for the 453z vs. $1395 for the x2, $100 bucks is cash in pocket.

[Dave Bureau]

lance, who else is putting their name on it? maybe i can get one local and save on shipping.
Dave

[Allan Daskam]

in an earlier post i to asked for help on this same thing, and got good help. In that post i said it looked like the x2 had a byrd head, but it is actually a grizzly head. but not the same one as in the z machine. if you look at the data sheets for both you will see that the z has like 72 inserts that are 14mm x 14mm x2mm. the x2 has 68 inserts that are 15mm x 15mm x 2.5mm. that is the same size insert as byrd uses and i think they cost the same. (maybe the same insert). byrds cutters i think are set on a shear angle. the grizzly 25 inch g0603x also uses the 15mm inserts and they are set on a 15 degree shear angle (maybe the x2 are also set at a shear angle). if you go by the picture of the x2 head the spiral and color of the head look like the byrd head, but 15 inch byrd head has 96 inserts and 6 rows, the grizzly head has 68 inserts and 4 rows. a shear angle should help with tearout. (should check with grizzly to see if inserts are set at a shear angle on x2) oh i did deceide to go with the x2 hard call. the inserts are alot more money. they probably have to compensate for that shear angle. things do get complecated .

[Lance Norris]

lance, who else is putting their name on it? maybe i can get one local and save on shipping.
Dave

Shop Fox, Harbor Freight, General International, Jet, even Powermatic all have a 15" planer that looks very much like the 453. Now some will argue that these planers are not the same, and maybe they arent, but I would bet that parts are interchangeable.

[Shiraz Balolia]

Shop Fox, Harbor Freight, General International, Jet, even Powermatic all have a 15" planer that looks very much like the 453. Now some will argue that these planers are not the same, and maybe they arent, but I would bet that parts are interchangeable.

None of the above listed companies/brands (except for Shop Fox) have a 15" planer from the factory that the G0453 series planer comes from.

[Lance Norris]

None of the above listed companies/brands (except for Shop Fox) have a 15" planer from the factory that the G0453 series planer comes from.
Well... now we know. There are a lot of look-a-likes.

[Paul Greathouse]

Shiraz

Do either the 453Z or the 1021X2 cutter heads have a shear angle?

Do you offer the Byrd head with either of these planers and if so, what is the added cost?

What is the price of the different inserts that are available for your planers?

I know these questions are getting a little nit-picky but I just want to make sure that I get the right machine.

[Paul Greathouse]

[quote=Lance Norris;811027]After re-reading my post, I apologize if I seemed harsh. I didnt mean to sound that way.


No Problem Lance, even if you had meant it the other way I'm thick skinned, I can take it. In my day job I'm a company supervisor over union employee's, I have to be able to take it.

[Brent Grooms]

After reading threads here, woodnet and calling the tech line, here is what I have gotten from them...

G0453z uses the H7655 head (silver one that is helical but not rotated cutters) inserts are H7319 $24.95/10pk

G1012x2 uses a custom head(designed by P.Grizz per the tech line) that mimics the byrd design. replacement inserts are $59.95/10pk

You can get the byrd head for $595 (inserts run $29.95/10pk) currently, add it to a std G0453 @$795 and wind up at $1390 plus shipping for both items and have to install it yourself. Not a bad thing... getting to know your machine up close and personal.

In looking at the Jet, SteelCity, Grizz, Delta (depending on model) and even the Powermatic, with certain detail/cosmetic/feature differences, are basically the same except for price. I think it boils down to which gives you the warm fuzzies.

[Paul Greathouse]

Thanks Brent

Thats what I needed to know.
Have you purchased a planer yet?
Which head will/did you go with?
Can you purchase the Byrd directly from Grizzley?
Sounds like a good deal going with the 453 and the Byrd head. You would still get the regular cutterhead with knives also, wouldn't you?

[Dave Bureau]

I'm liking the griz 1021x2 but i'm going to look at the powermatic also it has a DRO and is 10% off at woodcraft and they might have a rebate but not sure on that.
Dave

[Shiraz Balolia]

Shiraz

Do either the 453Z or the 1021X2 cutter heads have a shear angle?

Do you offer the Byrd head with either of these planers and if so, what is the added cost?

What is the price of the different inserts that are available for your planers?

I know these questions are getting a little nit-picky but I just want to make sure that I get the right machine.

Most of your questions above have been answered by Brent, and a lot of information (like price of inserts etc..) is available either on line, in the catalog or from our tech support. Questions about whether we have machines in stock can also be answered by calling our toll-free line.

Some clarifications:
1) Although I worked with the factory on the new cutterhead, I did not design it. The only reason we brought that on is because there have been people that post theories that the shear angle leaves a better finish (see #5 below). Consequently, people are swayed by that and ask for such a cutterhead.
2) We do not install cutterheads on machines.
3) We do not switch out cutterheads or other parts on machines due to practicality reasons.
4) We do not remove motors and switches on machines if a customer cannot use them and wants a lower price. Not asked here, but commonly asked of our operators. All these "do nots" sound negative and are not meant to be. Just a reality of our labor costs and difficulty of tracking, storing and other issues with removed parts.
5) I have said it several times before and will say it again. I have personally used both the Byrd cutterhead and our Grizzly cutterhead and have been unable to tell the difference in the finish of the wood. I probably work with the most figured woods of anyone I know (heavily figured, musical grade woods like intensely curly maple, Koa and quilted maple. The quilted maples are the worst to work with because the individual "quilts" or "pillows" come from every angle and there is no such thing as a uniform shear angle. Every cut is almost like a shear angle from a straight blade. Both of my machines at home (12" jointer and 20" planer) have Grizzly cutterheads. I have access to Byrds and would have changed in a heartbeat if they gave me a better finish.

[Dave Bureau]

Well after looking hard at the Griz 453 and 1021x2 I have totally changed my mind. I just ordered the Griz 454 20" with straight blades. I figured I would be better off with a 20" and I can always upgrade to a spiral head later on if needed. In 35 years of woodworking I have never needed a spiral head. And I have a 24" dual drum sander if worst comes to worst.
Dave

[Paul Greathouse]

Just one more question for those of you that have the spiral head Grizzly's and I promise I will get off the fence and buy something.

I called and spoke to one of the techs at Grizzly and he said that he thought that with the spiral heads you would not be able to take as deep of a cut as with a regular knife head. The specification sheet for the 15" planers says 1/8" cut. How deep of a cut are you taking with your spiral heads? I plan on planing alot of wood, so it the spiral head limits the depth of cut too much I may be better off with a knife head.

[Lance Norris]

Paul, I usually take less than a 1/16" just because I was trained that way, to minimize the impact to the knifes of a straight knife planer.

[Paul Greathouse]

Bump for more responses on depth of cut by Grizzly spiral head planers please.